A Life for a Life
by StarStorm199
Summary: Sora is gone. He returned Kairi only to vanish before everyone's eyes. Riku's heart retains darkness from the loss. Axel finds himself pining after the brokenhearted keyblade master. A new threat has come into the heroes lives. A mysterious caped group seeks a vessel, a heart, and a key. What do these items mean? And what does it have to do with Axel's keyblade? SPOILERS ON KH3!
1. Trailer

_Author's Note: First and foremost, image cover created by the talented hakeism (found on tumblr). Permission was granted, so please be sure to check out their page! For this image specifically, it contains the words "betray friends, defend friends."_

_Welcome to the "trailer" of this story I am currently creating for AkuRiku (Axel x Riku). This is my first Kingdom Hearts __fanfiction, and my knowledge of the series runs mainly with the three main games: KH, KHII, and KHIII. I have seen bits and pieces of the others, such as Chain of Memories and Days. However, please feel free to send me a message if a fact is off in this story. I will do my best to correct the fact if it works within the plot line. If it doesn't work, then think of this story as an Alternate Universe to the KH series. _

_For some context, this story is post-KH3. So, please be careful if you do not want any spoilers. I will not hold back any information from the newest game. Currently, this story is rated T, but may become MA later as the story progresses. I am a 20-something adult writing this story, meaning I have no filter for cussing or sexual content. Be warned._

_Side note, this story has not been beta-read. Only Grammarly has been used. If grammatical errors are noticed, please inform me. I will do my best to fix the problems._

_Otherwise, please enjoy this little story I have fabricated after completing KH3. It's something that I just have been dreaming up a couple of nights, and found I wanted to write it out for myself. Happy reading!_

* * *

**_A Life for a Life: "Trailer"_**

_"Now our journey ends too, yours and mine..."_

_Sora_. Axel's mouth opens but his words seem cut off from his voice. They reverberate around the world instead.

**Axel, what are you doing here?**

Axel feels tears well up in the corner of his eyes. It had been so long since Axel had last heard Sora's voice. He had nearly forgotten its sound. The words were so smooth and soft.

**Axel, your legs!**

Axel looks down and sees the watery surface below his toes begin to create tendrils. The snake-like waters slowly wrap around his legs.

The flame keyblade wielder coughs lightly, "So, all the Guardians of Light have been targeted. Something to get memorized."

Sora pushes Axel back harshly, away from the capturing water. Axel staggers as more tendrils reach out.

'You must wake up!'

Axel quickly turns on his heel, looking back into the shadowed forest. A man stands along the trees. He steps out, long black hair flowing in the wind. His red eyes stare only at Axel's keyblade. An unsettling smirk is plastered on his tan face.

"Who are you? And how'd you get here?" Axel asks. His hand tightens around the handle of his blade. Axel feels unsteady by the aura licking outward from around the enemy.

"I want to make a deal with you." The man circles behind Axel's back. He stands only a few feet away.

Axel summons his keyblade and strikes. The enemy moves quicker than Axel expects. He disappears and reappears on Axel's other side. His chaotic eyes stare longingly at the keyblade.

A red tendril slowly splits open the man's palm before it quickly rushes out and latches to the ground. It opens a small portal that glows a brilliant white. Then, it pulls upward and brings out the creatures. They seem like Heartless but are grey in color. Their glowing eyes are a bright blue, and the symbol on their chest resembles the Heartless one, but it has more crosses and is engulfed in flames.

"Bring the flame and his tamer to me, Corruption." The man sneers. The creatures race towards Axel. The redhead quickly uses his keyblade to dispatch a few that get too close. They burn away in sparks of red and black dust.

"You're hearts are stronger when they work together. Overcoming this threat will take time. Without much knowledge on our foes, you will need to protect one another."

A hand touches the back of Axel's neck. Fingers rake against his skin, scratching a pattern into the flesh. A burning sensation takes hold. It spreads across Axel's entire back nape and travels down his spine to the middle of his back.

"Take care of him, Riku. He's fragile right now."

"Axel, can you hear me? It's Riku."

"Ri...ku…" Axel's voice sounds horse.

He cries out as the heat burns the last of his strength. His scream is muffled.


	2. A Hero is Lost

_Author's Note: First and foremost, on the image cover was created by the talented _hakeism_ (found on tumblr). Permission was granted, so please be sure to check out their page! _For this image specifically, it contains the words "betray friends, defend friends."

_I apologize for the long wait in the first chapter. After I completed the writing, I had my beta-reader look it over. This took some time since we both have quite a busy schedule. But, now that we have gone over the details of the story, the first chapter is ready for all to read! Remember, this is an AkuRiku (Axel x Riku) developing _romance_. Additionally, this is my first Kingdom Hearts fanfiction, and my knowledge of the series runs mainly with the three main games: KH, KHII, and KHIII. My beta-reader has more knowledge, so they will be sure to follow the right track. However, please feel free to send me a message if a fact is off in this story. I will do my best to correct the fact if it works within the plot line. If it doesn't work, then think of this story as an Alternate Universe to the KH series._

_THIS IS A SPOILER TO KH3! Please be careful when reading._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: A HERO IS LOST**

* * *

_WORLD: DESTINY ISLANDS _

"Catch, Isa!"

Childish laughter filled the air as Riku chucked a small frisbee towards the former-Nobody. Isa quickly clutched the disk from the air, stepping back and making eye contact with Axel. The redhead could see a small smirk appear on Isa's lips as he propelled the frisbee as hard as he could towards Axel's direction.

Quick on his feet, Axel grabbed the plastic weapon. He felt young again, like the days before the Organization and Xehanort's darkness. He reveled in the memories of Isa and himself playing these games. They had used their greatest strength then to push each other around. Taking parallel steps to his former youth, Axel jumped up and spun in the air, picking up speed for the disk. His eyes landed on Riku again, locking emerald with ocean blue. Riku was ready for the powerful throw. He, also, had a smile gracing his lips.

All of them were finally at peace. With the defeat of Xehanort and the re-locking of Kingdom Hearts, the group could finally live the way they wanted. And not a single Guardian of Light wasted that time.

Aqua, Terra, and Ventus had returned home. Together, at last, they made up for years apart by filling in gaps of their adventures. Aqua's smile was brighter than the darkness that had held her. Terra's mind was free from corruption and deceit. He could look to his friends and feel like all was right in the world. And Ventus was finally his own person. He could walk, talk, and feel for himself instead of living through the eyes of Sora.

Xion and Roxas rekindled their old flame: finally seeing that their connection was more than simple friendship. It took a long time for Xion to stop crying. She always felt like a 'puppet' or a traitor to their friendship. Axel couldn't fault her. In fact, he had helped push her towards the demise she had faced. The redhead still felt his new heart constrict at the thought of their fight in front of the mansion's gates. The 'don't hold back' always sending his dreams to nightmares.

Isa had filled a hole in Axel's heart that he didn't realize he had. The death of Saïx had dissipated whatever jealousy the bluenette had harbored. Their friendship had actually grown stronger, having gone through the darkness together to find the light at the end of the tunnel. That gleam being Sora.

Sora. Now that was a different story.

Although Xehanort was defeated, a Guardian of Light had been lost. Kairi's body and heart had been destroyed to create the final key needed to make the χ-blade. Sora had made it his mission to get his love back. He promised everyone that he would return with Kairi. This feat would be difficult. Even King Mickey had warned Sora of the dangers: delving deep into the darkness, using the power of Waking could destroy Sora's body. Sora had dismissed these risks, stating he would come back with Kairi intact.

It had been weeks, and no one had heard or seen from Sora. Sure, they were all connecting and rebuilding relationships, but everyone's thoughts were on the goofy boy.

Axel sent the frisbee towards Riku, using a great amount of power behind the throw. He wasn't worried about harming Riku, the Keyblade Master was stronger than he appeared. Said person caught it effortlessly, his muscles tightening on his forearms as he gripped the plastic.

Now, they all were waiting for Sora's grand return. The group all felt it in their hearts. Sora would return with Kairi, as promised. After looking away from Riku, Axel's hand went to rest on his chest, feeling the thumping of his heart under the skin. He looked out at the ocean, the sunset placing a beautiful orange glow over the islands. His hair gently blew back from the ocean breeze. The sounds of laughter and Donald's surprised squawks faded away until the redhead could only hear the ocean tide lap against the sand. A true peace settled over him. When was the last time Axel had really felt alive?

He rested his pupils on the small island off to his left. He focused on the bridge that led to it before letting his eyes sit upon the bent over palm tree. Axel remembered a dream: Xion, Roxas, and himself sitting upon that same tree. They had talked over their friendship, saying that their grand dream was to be together. And to go to the beach.

Axel snickered at the thought. Xion had really been adamant about going to collect shells together. And now, here they finally were.

The redhead blinked away the image of his friends. As he refocused on the tree, his eyes widened for a moment: two figures sat there. Two figures that all of them had been waiting for.

Everyone stopped in their tracks. They all had felt the presence of the two, and turned to stared as Kairi and Sora shared a beautiful moment together on the palm tree. Their hands were nearly touching as they peered into each other's eyes. Axel watched with a small smile gracing his lips. He could feel the love radiating from the two. And Sora had kept his promise to them.

As the Keyblade wielders watched the two, Axel noticed tears falling from Kairi's face. Puzzled, he took one step closer to the water's edge, scanning Kairi's cheeks and then scanning Sora's. It is then that he saw it: Sora's body was fading away.

A sorrowful pressure fell over all of them as they stood watching. They were frozen, unable to stop the inevitable. They all had known it was too good to be true, to think that Sora had succeeded in bringing Kairi back without any consequences. But there he was, his shoulders turning into dust as they flew up with the ocean air.

Axel glanced down at King Mickey. The king's shoulders were slumped and his eyes had detached from Sora to look at the sand below. His eyes were watery, and his whole body screamed with guilt and sadness. He had warned them all, but he had hoped that Sora's courage and heart would bring the Keyblade wielder back safely.

When Sora's body scattered to the winds like sand, Kairi finally looked over at the group. She let her tears fall freely from her eyes, not lifting a hand to wipe them away. Her eyes locked onto Axel's. He could feel a deep need to hold the girl in his arms. They had bonded together through their goals to see their friends again, their Keyblade training, and now they both had suffered loss.

Axel's feet moved before he thought: finally taking steps towards the island. Kairi did the same, jumping down from the palm tree and rushing towards the redhead. Axel ran through the water, then pulled up his hand. He cast an aerial spell that allowed him to jump up onto the bridge. Once there, he opened his arms wide to the smaller redhead. She collided into Axel's chest, burying her tear-stained face there, and he closed his arms around her tightly.

One arm rubbed her back while the other pet the back of her head, sorrowfully happy to feel her again in his arms. He felt guilty for that, but tears streamed down his own face, droplets landing in Kairi's hair. He didn't wipe them away. He let them fall freely just like Kairi as he looked back at the palm tree, seeing the sun set over the horizon. Some part of him hoped Sora would rebuild and stand there with that goofy awkward smile as everyone around him cried. Instead, a darkness fell over the islands as sounds of tears and sniffles mixed with the ocean tides.

"I've got you," Axel whispered into Kairi's hair, having turned to look back down at the girl. He pulled her in tighter, feeling her body shake as she cried harder.

"I've got you."

* * *

_WORLD DESTINATION: THE LAND OF DRAGONS _

A high-pitched beeping noise resounded throughout the Gummi ship. Riku blinked his eyes drearily open. He leaned forward from the hard chair, stretching outward as he popped his muscles with a satisfied groan. Sleep particles still clung to his eyes. He rubbed at them, wiping away the tired tears. On the monitors, the ship warned about an incoming world: The Land of Dragons.

Riku peeked at the monitor carefully. It has been weeks since he got a good amount of rest. This was not going to be any different from the other times, despite Goofy's optimism. The Keyblade Master had only slept for two hours. He was on a long streak of one to two-hour naps. He found himself running on a very low battery.

Riku pulled out a notebook. After flipping through a couple of pages that were filled with notes on Heartless and specific worlds, he folded it over on the one side with a list of crossed out world names. Riku added the newest to the long list.

"Gawrsh, it's been a while since we've been here."

Riku glanced up from his notebook to see Goofy coming up to his right side. Outside the glass view of the Gummi ship, they could see a world with a large platform. On the platform was a design with a bunch of Chinese symbols and a gold dragon at the center. Resting on the actual platform was a large Chinese palace with red flags flapping in the wind. Below the world, a temple with similar dragon symbols stuck out.

No wonder this place was called the Land of Dragons.

Riku only remembered a short amount of time being in this world. He had taken on the appearance of Ansem while wearing the Organization XIII coat to be able to pass through the Realm of Darkness. Riku felt a shiver run up his spine as he thought about his body in the form of the evil master. He had hated his skin, and the thought still defiled his heart, making him feel vulnerable and weak.

Sora had been to this world. Both Goofy and Donald confirmed this, and Riku remembered fighting him here. Sora didn't know who the Keyblade Master was, or who he appeared as when they fought near the Summit. Riku was always sure to wear his hood up during those days. Additionally, Riku didn't have time to explain himself to Sora on that world. He had had to warn the Emperor about the dragon transformed Heartless flying over the city.

Riku's return to this world was now a matter of finding Sora. This world had been a place that Sora's heart had touched and changed lives. So, who's to say he wouldn't come back to change lives again?

"I wonder if Mulan and the Captain are okay." Donald squawked. Donald came up to Goofy's right, also looking towards the world. Riku smirked at Sora's companions. They were always so happy-go-lucky, much like their king. Riku could see why Sora adored their friendship so much.

"This is the next world on our list. We can check up on those two while we search for Sora." Riku said. His smile faded as he closed his notebook and replaced it back in his small bag of potions, ethers, and other such items.

"I'm sure we'll find him here, Riku. Sora always had a soft spot for this place." Goofy reassuringly said. He patted Riku's shoulder, smiling widely at the Keyblade Master. Riku couldn't help but let the small smile return back to his face. He really appreciated their optimism. It never died, not even after all the worlds they had checked thus far. Goofy and Donald were really great at keeping a positive motion even as each world bared no answers.

It'd been over eight months since Sora faded away. They all knew that Sora was out there, somewhere. But Riku believed that in order to bring Sora back, someone had to release him from whatever was trapping him. Much like when Sora had lost his memories and Riku needed to rebuild his friend with Naminé and DiZ. This was why Goofy and Donald had volunteered to help Riku search for their lost friend. They had said something about the 'whole pint needing the extra pints to fill the glass.' Riku was still unsure of what that meant.

"Yeah. Let's find Sora." Riku stood up from the chair and pressed a launch sequence on the Gummi ship monitor. Donald and Goofy nodded in determination as the Gummi ship headed toward the Land of Dragons.

* * *

_WORLD: TWILIGHT TOWN _

People walked around the Bistro, a buzzing cheer of their conversations cascading around Axel. He sat at a table in front of the restaurant, his chin resting against his palm which rested itself on the table. He watched as a child held the hand of his mother's, a Sea Salt ice cream in the other. He smiled and laughed as the mother cooed toward him.

His eyes shifted to a couple sitting on a bench. A red-haired man had his arms over a blonde girl's shoulders. He said something with a grin, and the girl laughed. Her hand came up to his that was dropped over her shoulders. She interlocked their fingers. She smiled fondly at the man, her face slowly getting closer to his.

Axel's mind wandered to a silver-haired Keyblade Master at the same moment the couple kissed. Over the course of a year, the time that had passed since Riku's departure to search for Sora, Axel had been thinking more and more of that man. At first, Axel had been admiring Riku's determination, fighting skills, and calm aura. If all hell's breaking loose, Axel could bet that Riku would stand calmly as the world crumbled around him. And that image was too fascinating to push away.

The redhead had become quite good friends with the Master during his training time with Kairi. In a world where time was manipulated, Riku was able to stop by with King Mickey to show the two new wielders how to fight. He taught both redheads a number of skills, but Axel and Riku were able to fight longer than the smaller islander. Those fights led to late night talks. During those times, he and Riku had connected over their similar goals: find and rescue their friends.

But along the way, Axel found his feelings growing into something more. And it bothered him to no end. It was like a constant itch in his chest that he couldn't scratch. He'd imagine staring longingly into Riku's eyes or holding his hand to stare out at the beautiful sunset in the Secret Forest. This never happened during their training sessions, of course. But Axel had begun to wish he had reached out to Riku during that time. The way he felt…

"What's wrong, Axel?"

Axel blinked and turned his head to look across the table. Kairi sat at the chair in front of him, having paused in eating her soup to look at the fire user. It would have been a funny sight if not for the distant look paralleling his own in her eyes. He scanned her face, looking for any sign of distress.

"Nothing. Just…watching is all." He replied. Kairi gave him a look. Her eyebrows knitted together in concern as she put her spoon back in her bowl. Her own eyes scanned Axel's face, looking for her own signs to be aware of. Axel wasn't sure what sort of face he was making that drew her concern.

He reached out and poked the girl softly between the knitted brows.

"Do that too much, and they'll stay like that." He laughed as Kairi rubbed her forehead. He hoped his pseudo-positivity would distract her from his true emotions.

She smiled at him as her worries drifted from her posture. Axel felt his own relief take over at seeing the girl relax.

Almost a year had gone by since Sora's disappearance, but Kairi was still reliving that first day. She had become a mess in the days that followed the event. Axel, Xion, Roxas, and Isa took it upon themselves to stay with Kairi on Destiny Islands for six months. Axel had always been an earshot away from Kairi, especially when she was in her room. She cried for days. The other three had stayed around to help support Axel.

Xion was able to be a comfort to Kairi. She had helped Axel the most when it came to getting Kairi out and about or simply letting themselves be a shoulder for her to cry on. Isa and Roxas were a little too awkward in that department, never sure how to react. They did help with little things though, like making breakfast or running errands.

In the weeks that followed, Kairi had become numb. She would stand by the ocean shore and watched the sunset. Some days, Axel would sit with her. He would rub her back, and simply be a comforting presence as Kairi grieved for her lost love. Or maybe she was simply waiting for Sora to reappear before her.

On some days, Axel watched from the house window, keeping an eye on Kairi. He wasn't sure what her depression would lead her to do. But he knew from experience that he would go to the world's end just to find his friends. He could only imagine what Kairi would do if he hadn't been around to stop her.

In fact, the person who had convinced Kairi to wait was Riku. During those first days, he had told Kairi that he would search for Sora. She had wanted to go with him, but Riku had somehow convinced her to stay. He had then trusted Axel to be her caretaker.

_"She wants to find him herself. I know that look. I need you to make sure she stays." _Riku had said. He had asked Axel only hours before he took the Gummi ship to begin his search. Of course, the redhead would have stayed with Kairi regardless, but it was nice to see that Riku trusted him.

Once Riku had had Axel's confirmation that he would look after Kairi, Riku left.

After about six months, Axel convinced Kairi to come to Twilight Town. He used the idea of training as an excuse, but it was really the best way to get her away from her childhood home. She had too many memories of Sora there. So, Twilight Town could at least provide an outlet and a change in mood.

Now, eleven months and fifteen days later had left both Kairi and his world empty of the silver-haired Keyblade Master.

Axel could feel the agitation affecting him each day. He seemed to find himself counting the days of Riku's departure. At first, Axel was able to focus only on Kairi. But, as the pink-dressed girl became more relaxed, Axel's mind would fall to the strong-willed Keyblade Master more and more. And with each passing day, Axel's confused heart yearned to see him again.

"Axel! Kairi!"

Both Keyblade wielders turned to see Xion and Roxas heading their way. Xion smiled brightly as she sat down next to Kairi. Roxas remained standing but stood near Axel's side.

"Finished training already?" Axel asked. He looked over the two. Their session hadn't left too many bruises this time.

"Yeah. Xion's really getting strong. She might even be able to summon a different Keyblade soon." Roxas replied. Kairi patted Xion's hand that was resting on the table. She smiled softly at the girl. Axel could tell that Kairi had been thinking of Sora which left her in a melancholy mood. But, she was genuinely excited for Xion.

"I like my Keyblade. It's the first one I summoned, and it's the same one you had when we first met, Roxas." Roxas blushed, looking away from Xion towards the busy streets instead. Axel elbowed Roxas in the side, gaining his attention. Axel simply winked at him. Roxas, of course, gawked.

"Kairi, you should come train with us. Axel has talked about how great of a wielder you are. And I've only ever seen you fight once." Xion said. She left the exact fight unsaid, still ashamed that it was with her and Saïx.

Kairi sat silently for a moment, also thinking of the Keyblade War. Axel worried for a moment. Was Kairi thinking of Sora? Was she grieving silently? But then, she smiled softly.

"Alright. I'll show you my true power." Kairi had determination in her eyes. Axel watched as Kairi's strength grew. Her hands had clenched into fists and she sat up straight while she proudly challenged Xion. Axel saw both Kairi and Sora sitting before him at that moment. He couldn't hold back the chuckle.

"Axel, what's so funny?"

Axel laughed out loud. Damn, he really was a mess as of late. He was near going crazy with all the positivity he had to show. And seeing Sora only increased how much he missed the junior hero. He eventually composed himself. He looked at the worried expressions of his friends. He let his smile widen. How long had he been alone? How long had he been stuffing down his emotions?

The fire user stood from the table. His hands rested on his hips as he peered down at the Keyblade wielders.

"Well, let's go see that strength, Kairi." Axel watched Kairi bound up from her chair. Xion followed suit. Roxas appeared tired but smiled as his hands came up to rest on the back of his head.

"Yeah!" Kairi exclaimed. She and Xion ran passed the two boys. They headed towards the open space below the clock tower. It was usually left unoccupied, so it worked great for their training sessions. If an audience did build, it was because they wanted to see the Keyblades in action.

Roxas and Axel followed after the two at a slower pace. They enjoyed each other's company in silence, having missed this for so long.

* * *

_WORLD: DISNEY CASTLE _

Black boots touched the white cement ground. They hit softly but stayed next to the stalled Gummi ship. A duck's foot came down next, followed closely by brown steel-toed boots.

Riku looked dejectedly at the ground, a deep set frown upon his lips. His hand came up. His fingers gently pressed against the red surface of the Gummi ship. Riku saw himself staring back. He had storms brewing in his eyes, threatening to boil over. His teeth gritted in a snarl. Violently, his hand slammed into the side of the ship. A tingling pain ran up Riku's palm and into his arm, but he didn't move. The pain helped prevent the tears from dropping.

Goofy reached out towards the Keyblade Master, but Donald stopped him. He shook his head, his own eyes glassy. Goofy looked to Donald, back to Riku, and gave his own sad sigh.

All three stared at the ground in silence. A year of searching without any leads on Sora. That was all that was on their minds.

Riku had kept hope throughout the beginning of their trip. For the first three months, he believed it was only a matter of time before they would run into his best friend. However, as the six-month marker came, Riku found himself losing hope. It became a downward slope soon after that.

Each world had connections with Sora. Each world had a memory of the boy. But no one had seen or heard from Sora. They all worried upon hearing that he was missing, claiming they would keep an eye out for him. But Riku knew it would be no use for them to search. If Riku couldn't find Sora, how could the others possibly do it?

Riku's fist clenched on the Gummi ship. His fingers still tingled from the punch. His forehead came to rest gently against the surface. The cool metal helped with the building headache. Nausea he felt rising in his throat was quickly swallowed back down.

How could he have been so stupid? Sora had _faded _away. He wasn't going to be on some beach relaxing by himself. Riku could only think that Sora was trapped in a place he could not reach. But those locations were few and far between. Riku had gone to hell and back so many times, that many locations were open to his heart. Both darkness and light battled for dominance every day.

Riku could feel the nausea and storm rising again. He eyes squeezed shut, pressing his head harder against the ship. The metal no longer helped.

A small gloved hand came to rest on Riku's forearm. The Keyblade Master peered down at his friend. Mickey's face reflected everyone: sadness and guilt. Mickey blamed himself the most for Sora's disappearance. He believed he should have fought harder to prevent Sora from going alone. Riku could never blame Mickey. In fact, he turned that finger to himself. He had told Mickey to stand down and let Sora do as he would. It would be no use to fight him.

Riku pushed himself away from the Gummi ship, patting Mickey's hand as he stood up. He gave a small nod. Mickey's presence was a comfort to the Keyblade Master. He allowed Riku to regain his composure, make the storm break, and bring back calm winds.

Riku looked over at Sora's companions. They watched Riku carefully, still holding their voices back. Their eyes held determination mixed with sorrow. They hadn't given up. Riku couldn't help but let out a small chuckle-mixed sigh.

They all silently agreed. They wouldn't give up. They were just taking a reprieve, but they would journey out again after some rest.

Riku knew that his new sense of determination came from the royal advisor and guard. They would spend their whole lifetimes searching. No one would give up on Sora. So, Sora wouldn't give up on them.

Riku felt better about the year search. Sure, they hadn't found clues to Sora's location, but they had given a notice to almost all worlds. Everyone was on the lookout for Sora. Everyone's hearts guided their light towards the fallen warrior.

Maybe the trip wasn't for nothing after all.

_Endless sea and endless sky. _

_That was what Axel stared at after opening his eyes. There was nothing seen on the horizon. There were no buildings or people. Just endless sea. And the endless sky. _

_Axel looked down at the water he was somehow standing on. He almost appeared to be floating over the still crystal clear sky. His reflection stared back at him. He wore his casual clothes: black jacket, black patterned shirt, black pants, and boots. It was better than the Organization coat he'd sported for so long. But still, he was a contrasting speck in the expanse of the blue around him. _

_Axel's gloveless fingers brushed against his cheeks. The reflection followed his movements. The upside-down tears were still gone. However, he felt a sensation like they wanted to return. _

_A small shimmer reflected on the surface in front of Axel. The water ripples. Axel follows the water's surface to the source of the shimmer and disturbance of the water. His eyes widened at the sight before him. _

_Sora was right there, standing a mere few feet away. He was translucent. He had no color but reflected the world around them. The clouds dance on the surface of his body like the reflection of the waters below. But Axel could see his soft smile and the glow of happiness in his eyes. There was no mistaking it. This was Sora. _

**_Sora_** _. Axel's mouth opened but his words seemed to reverberate around the world. His voice was both far and near, bouncing against his eardrums like echoes. But yet, his words were crystal clear and crisp. _

**_Axel, what are you doing here?_**

_Axel felt tears well up in the corner of his eyes. They stung, causing the fire user to blink a few times. Sora's voice had nearly been forgotten. The words were so smooth and soft. How could Axel have forgotten a voice such as Sora's? _

_Ignoring the question, Axel reached out toward Sora. His hands fell on the watery surface of his shoulders. They held firm. Axel could touch Sora, even if it was in this weird form. _

**_Sora, you need to come home._ **_Axel pleaded. His hands clenched tightly on both of Sora's shoulders. Sora's translucent hands came up to rest on Axel's forearms. His thoughts raced to Riku and Kairi. Kairi's happy tears sprang forth as she ran to Sora's side. Riku's demeanor changed, his solitude abandoned to hold both Kairi and Sora in a tight hug. Axel felt heaviness in his heart. His mind's eye crafted the moment so eloquently that the few tears he had been holding back finally slipped out. He needed to be the one to bring Sora home. For Kairi to regain her lost love. And for Riku…whom his heart broke for the most. _

_It was Riku's face that stood out most to him. He could see the love for Sora reflected in his aqua pools. Was it love of a brother? Or love that Kairi shared with the boy? Axel was unsure, and due to this, he found it hard to breathe. _

**_Wish I could. But, I can't seem to find the exit._**

_Sora smiled that awkward smile when he doesn't know what else to do. One of his hands left Axel's forearm to rub at the back of his watery head. He stood so casually, almost like he wasn't missing his true form. _

_Axel felt more tears pour down his cheeks. He couldn't control them. Part of him knew he didn't _need _to cry, but his body and heart reacted on their own. He had become so used to being a Nobody that when tears poured, they rained down heavily without much resistance. He didn't even know where to begin to prevent the tears from falling. _

_Sora's hand instantly pulled away from the back of his head. His smile replaced with a worried line. He stammered between 'don't cry' to 'it's okay'. He looked so worried. He patted Axel's arms as if trying to comfort him. Maybe he thought the contact would be enough to calm the waterfalls. But Sora appeared like he didn't know what to do. He shifted his weight between his feet, brushing away tears from Axel's cheeks only to have them replaced by more. _

**_Hey, don't cry. I'll figure it out soon. I promise!_**

_Axel snorted. One of his hands left Sora's shoulder to brush away at the tears. Sora awkwardly rubbed that arm. Of course, Sora had no worries. He saw this situation as a minor setback in his original plan to come home. He promised on the day he went to get Kairi that he'd come back. Sora didn't break that promise. It seemed it was just taking longer than he anticipated. _

**_Hurry it up then, Sora. We all miss you._** **_Especially Kairi, got it memorized? _**_Axel shakily smiled at Sora. Tears still streamed down his cheeks. Some of the droplets fell from his chin and landed on the water below. It created small ripples at their feet, only Axel's reflection being affected. Sora didn't have a reflection._

_The islander grinned at Axel, patting the fire user's shoulder with one hand and rubbing his nose confidently with the other. He was less awkward now that Axel smiled. _

_Slowly, Sora's grin fell from his face as he looked down at Axel's feet. _

**_Axel, your legs!_**

_Axel's watery eyes glanced down at the surface below. Ominously, the water was creating tendrils that were slowly wrapping around his legs. Axel couldn't feel the tentacles. He lifted one foot away from them, the water splashing back to the surface. The ripples it created brought more tendril out. They formed slowly and reached out to Axel's legs blindly. Their grip was getting tighter, and Axel could actually begin to feel the pressure. _

_Sora pushed Axel back, away from the capturing water. Not expecting the maneuver, Axel staggered back as more tendrils reached out to where he had been. They wrapped around nothing and broke apart. They splashed back only to create more and reach out towards Axel's new location. _

**_You must wake up! _**

_A new voice reverberated around the world. Axel hastily looked around himself, but the world remained empty aside from himself and Sora. _

**_Axel!_**

_Axel whipped his head towards Sora's direction as he cried out his name. Sora's body began to melt back into the world. Axel reached out, a silent cry escaping his lips as the islander collapsed back into the water. The fire user felt something break in his heart. Sora was gone once more. _

**_Hurry! Before this world captures you, too!_**

_Axel forced himself to step back as the tendrils wrapped around his knees. The water sloshed down, but more sprung forth. They were faster now, and their grip had become solid, tightly holding his legs like vines. One more reach and Axel knew he would be dragged down just like Sora. _

**_Sora?_ **_Axel desperately called. He had just found the islander. He couldn't lose him again. _

**_Wake up!_**

_The voice boomed louder than it had before. Axel felt his head spin. At the same time, the water around Axel exploded upward. A wall of water consumed the tendrils. Axel forced his eyes shut while protecting his face with his arms as the wave crashed down around him. _

A soft hum invaded Axel's eardrums. He slowly opened his eyes. A white ceiling with small cracks stared back at him. Sore, Axel realized his arms were up covering his face in the protective stance before the dream had ended. He lowered his tired arms, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Axel was back in his apartment. The A/C had just kicked on, making Axel shiver on his bed. He sat up, bringing a blanket up with him as he stared out the window positioned above his bed. He rested one arm on the sill, the other holding the blanket to his chest. He could both feel and hear his heart drumming to a fast rhythm.

Twilight Town bustled with life below the fourth story window. The tram moved along its rails with hisses and squeaky mechanics. People chatted as they walked around or visited the Bistro.

Axel saw three kids running around the stores. Hayner, Pence, and Olette chased each other with sticks. Their game took them around the stores and toward the Bistro. Axel focused on them, using their carefree nature and presence to calm down. His heart slowly became to beat at a normal pace.

Axel's leg twitched. He felt a shooting pain run up his spine. He quickly removed the blanket from his legs and found them to be sore, especially around his knees. His hand left his chest to squeeze his knees, trying to counteract the sore muscles pulsating.

"Sora…" Axel whispered. He looked out the window again. Had the dream been real? Or did Axel just think it that way? He wasn't sure… but he just knew he had to find Sora.

* * *

Remember to look at hakeism's page since they were so kind enough to let me use their artwork as the story cover! And please feel free to leave comments about this story. I hope to grow from what you share with me.

The story is also found on Archieve of Our Own by Life_0r_Death (which is me).


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